I work as a clerical assistant in a pediatric dental office, and I am commonly surprised by the number of children who are scared of the dentist. Many kids think that cleanings will be painful, and they believe they will be scolded for eating sugary foods. Children are also extremely frightful of the noises made by the water spraying tools and the suction devices. As adults, we know that dental cleanings are easy and free of pain. We need to impart this knowledge to our children so they know not to fear the dentist. I have provided blogs that will help you speak with your child about dental care. Good communication, trips to your own dentist, and online videos can assist you. So will good brushing techniques that will make your child proud to see the dentist. Enjoy my articles so you can help your child build oral care confidence.

Teaching Your Children About the Dentist

DIY: A Tooth-Friendly Chewing Gum Recipe For Your Family

5 January 2015

Alfred Kelley

Making sure that your family has a healthy smile is both you and your dentist's job. You are probably making wise food choices, but have you thought about the chewing gum that you buy? Some chewing gum companies use preservatives that can harm your teeth.

The following is a natural and simple gum recipe that should help improve your family's oral health:

What's So Tooth-Friendly About This Gum?

The secret within this oral-enhancing gum lies in its ingredients, like cinnamon. Cinnamon contains a very powerful bacteria-killing machine called cinnamicaldehyde. Cinnamicaldehyde is a deadly active ingredient to the harmful bacteria in your mouth. The reason is that the cellular membrane of oral pathogens is very sensitive to cinnamaldehyde, so the pathogens deteriorate upon contact.

The other ingredient that you will be using is raw honey. Honey is a very powerful antibacterial ingredient that should help reduce the production of harmful bacteria. The reason is that the enzymes in honey are poisonous to the plaque-inducing bacteria in your mouth. Honey also has osmotic properties that help suck moisture from the oral microbes in your mouth.

The last ingredient to pay attention to is neem. Neem is native to the Middle-East and is quite powerful against dental ailments like cavities. The reason is that it contains bacteria-killing ingredients like nimbin. Nimbin should effectively prevent bad breath and cavities by attacking the harmful organisms in your mouth along with the rest of the ingredients.

Remember that the aforementioned ingredients are helpful, but you should still be certain to see your dentist regularly. He or she will have other useful tips. Now you can move on to the recipe.

The Tooth-Friendly Gummy Recipe

All you need is the following ingredients:

1/8 of a teaspoon of neem powder

1 tablespoon of raw honey

1/2 of a teaspoon of cinnamon or 5 drops of cinnamon oil

6 ounces of beeswax

You can purchase the aforementioned ingredients at your local health food store or online. To make your gum pieces, just follow the steps below:

Place the beeswax into a double-boiler over medium heat.

Let the wax melt until it's partly liquefied.

Turn off the fire, and add your cinnamon, honey, and neem.

Stir your ingredients thoroughly.

Pour the wax into a small candy mold; you can also use an ice cube tray.

Now you just have to wait until the wax hardens before chewing your homemade piece of gum.

You can chew the pieces as you normally would. It will not taste exactly like store-bought gum; it will have a unique taste but still delicious.

As you can see, taking care of your family's teeth can be as easy as chewing gum. For more help, or if you have other questions, try contacting a professional such as Dr. Linda K. Nichols to learn more.